Huntingdon College
Office of Community Relations
| February 6, 2006 For immediate release: |
Huntingdon College NEWS RELEASE |
Huntingdon Launches Marching Band ProgramHuntingdon College President J. Cameron West announced today that the College has hired award-winning Stanhope Elmore High School Band Director Harold Blankenship to create a marching band program at the College, beginning this fall term, 2006. Recruitment for the program will begin immediately, with Blankenship formally introduced to the College community at a special reception Thursday, February 9, at 11:00 a.m. in the Office of the President, Flowers Hall. "As we were considering the addition of marching band, we brought in eight public and private high school band directors in the state to examine the possibility with us. We knew that adding such a program would be a unique opportunity for students in our area -- we are the only small, private college in the state to offer marching band, and one of only two NCAA-III colleges in the Southeast to offer marching band. Still, those with whom we met were not only enthusiastic, they were both convinced and convincing that such a program would serve an unserved population of students, further electrify the atmosphere at Huntingdon football and basketball games, and enrich the life of the College. They encouraged us to put the program in place right away," said West. "We then consulted with Dr. John M. Long, the respected marching band director and director emeritus of the Troy University program. He recommended Harold Blankenship as having the combination of talent and enthusiasm we needed to begin the program. It was our good fortune that Harold was ready to retire from the public school system and to begin a new career at the college level." Long is expected to attend the reception on Thursday. Blankenship has 24 years of experience in developing band programs at junior high and high schools in Georgia and Alabama. He has served at Stanhope Elmore High School/Millbrook Junior High School as director of bands since 1989. His Elmore County bands have won numerous "superior" ratings at the district and state levels and three national titles in competition in Metairie, Louisiana, and have performed at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Blue Gray Classic in Montgomery. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in music at Troy State University, where he played in Troy's Sound of the South marching band under Long's direction. He has served band programs at Ben C. Rain High School, Mobile; McKenzie High School, McKenzie; Greenville Junior High; and Randolph-Clay High School, Cuthbert, Georgia. Inducted in 2001 as a member of the National High School Band Directors' Hall of Fame, Blankenship won the National Band Association's Citation of Excellence and was nominated for the DisneyHand Teacher Award in 2004. He has served as an adjudicator in competitions throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi, and as an instructor and clinician of the World Champion Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps, the Florida Wave Drum and Bugle Corps, and other camps and bands in the Southeast. He is a member of the executive board of the High School Band Directors National Association. "I am thrilled to join Huntingdon College and to provide this opportunity to young men and women who want to continue participation in marching band at the college level," said Blankenship. "I feel strongly that this will be a unique program for this area. The only other NCAA-III college in the Southeast to offer a band program is Mississippi College, and their band does not march. We are looking for young people who are passionate about music and about marching band and who play all band-related instruments, as well as color guard and majorettes to enhance the program." "Marching band will add a new dimension to our student life and leadership programs, to our athletic programs, and to arts programs at Huntingdon College," said Huntingdon Provost Frank Montecalvo. "We expect that smaller performing ensembles will result from the large group of students who are interested in being a part of the band. We want to bring this new dimension of experience to those who will benefit from the small college learning environment, and we look forward to the new possibilities this will introduce for Huntingdon's student life and music programs." Blankenship says he will find a place for any band enthusiast who wants to continue playing horns or drums or twirling flags or batons at the college level. "I don't turn people away -- I'll find the right place for everyone who wants to be a part of this program to be able to make a contribution. Marching band members will be ambassadors for the College. I run the program at that level and will expect that level of professionalism and commitment from those who are part of the band," said Blankenship. Huntingdon College is a community of faith, wisdom, and service preparing skilled leaders to serve a complex world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church offering 25 majors, 11 NCAA-III intercollegiate athletic teams, 14 academic honoraries, and numerous clubs and organizations for student involvement. Visit "The Huntingdon First" Marching Band Web site for more information about the program. ### Su Ofe | |
